Ten-year plan to combat Australia's extinction crisis launched

An ambitious 10-year plan to slow the nation's extinction crisis will be launched today at a conservation reserve south of Canberra.

As part of the plan, 50 scientists from 15 universities across the country will collaborate on 55 conservation projects.

The Saving Our Species plan has been devised by Bush Heritage Australia, a not-for-profit philanthropic conservation organisation that hopes to raise $20 million to fund it.

It will be launched today at Scottsdale Reserve, about 4 kilometres from Bredbo, south of the ACT.

Bush Heritage Australia's Dr Jim Radford said Australia was facing a biodiversity crisis, with 20 per cent of native mammals threatened with extinction and up to 20 per cent of birds in a similar situation.

"Simply protecting areas isn't going to be enough to save all of these species," he said.

"The need has never been greater and the urgency has never been greater.

"What we have been doing is making a difference, but we don't have all the knowledge necessary to recover all of the species that we want to."

Dr Radford said if successful, the Saving Our Species blueprint would double the organisation's research and science capacity.

"We are looking to ramp up our investment and leverage in science and research by partnering with academics," he said.

"To be involved in research on the ground and lead conversations at a national level, on issues that are of conservation significance."

He said the plan also aimed to provide greater transparency around philanthropic research activities.